As glad as she was to see Marley, she also couldn’t shake the guilt and regret that had settled in the pit of her stomach, reminding her of the role she’d played in ending their friendship.
Chapter Six
“How did the plate of fries offend you?”
Emma blinked, looked up from her plate, and frowned. “What?”
Jack stood behind the bar in his usual flannel and jeans, using a rag to wipe an empty glass. “You look like you want to punch someone.”
Emma’s lips twitched. “Well, I wouldn’t go that far. I’m just trying to work out a puzzle.”
Jack turned the glass over and wiped the other side. “Want to tell me what it is?”
Emma sat up straighter and smiled at the music wafting through the overhead speakers, the smell of eggnog making her stomach grumble. “I thought you loved guessing games.”
Jack chuckled and threw the rag over his shoulder. “Yeah, but you have to give me clues first.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
Jack leaned against the counter and gave her a lopsided smile. “Come on, not even one clue?”
Emma shrugged.
“What if I told you something in return?”
Emma raised an eyebrow. “Like what? That you have a kid and a wife hidden away somewhere?”
Jack choked back a laugh. “Idohave a kid, but he’s not hidden away. He’s twenty-five, and he lives in Rockport. I have no idea what’s become of my ex though.”
Emma tilted her head to the side and blinked. “Oh, wow. Okay, I wasn’t expecting that.”
He had given her a lot more personal information than she’d bargained for, and she had no idea how it made her feel.
Only that the thought of Jack with someone else still made her queasy.
Of course, he’d moved on with his life.
It had been years, after all.
Emma set her phone face down on the counter and smiled. “I was just thinking about the eclipse and the supposed Sullivan treasure.”
Jack nodded and began to wipe the table. “Yeah, I was thinking it would be really helpful if it turned out those rumors were true. What, with the bank notice and all.”
Emma’s blood turned to ice as the smile slipped from her face. “Bank notice?”
“Yeah, Henry asked me to take a look at the paperwork since I used to work at a bank, and I even asked an old buddy of mine to look into it since he was a lawyer, but since Henry is way behind on his payments, there isn’t much that can be done…”
Emma held a hand up, and it felt like the room around her was growing smaller.
Jack wasn’t making any sense.
The Sullivan property wasn’t in any danger. How could it be?
And why wouldn’t she know about it?
Suddenly, she thought of her father’s cryptic letter, urging her to come home, and she wondered if it had anything to do with Jack’s revealation.
It had to be the reason why Henry had wanted her to come back.
